Ray's Unexpected Guest
by Lizbertchica
Summary: It's dark, cold, and wet outside of County General when Ray is about to leave. Suddenly, a girl runs into the hospital. Ray treats the child, but it turns out she knows him better than he expects. Some Reela involved.
1. Chapter 1

"Neela, can you tell Weaver I left?"

"Sure, Ray. And watch your step, the floor is slippery."

It was very dark and cold outside of County General in mid-October. And wet. Very, very wet. The rain had been going since early that morning, and at 7 that night it still hadn't stopped.

"Help!" came a sudden cry. Ray had hardly made it past the front desk when he heard a young girl's cry.

In through the doors came a soaking wet 12-year-old wearing only basketball shorts and a blue windbreaker.

"Whoa, slow down!" cried Ray, but he had hardly reached the girl when she slipped backward on the wet floor, putting her hand behind her to break her fall. Choked sobs followed a subtle cracking noise caused by the wrist of the child.

Ray cautiously but quickly approached her, followed speedily by Neela. The girl had obviously been hurt from her fall and cringed with eyes shut tight. Neela ran to get a gurney while Ray tried to quiet the fallen being. Once arranged on the gurney, they rushed her into trauma four. The wrist had an obvious fracture and the girl would not stop crying.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Barnett and this is Neela," Ray chided. "We're gonna take care of you. Can you tell us your name?"

It took a moment for her to quietly speak. "I'm… I'm….. wait a sec… Barnett? Ray? Is that you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Sorry the last chapter was so short. Hopefully they will be longer after this.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ER or its characters in any way, shape or form. But if I did, THAT WOULD ROCK!**

"You know me?" A confused Ray said softly. Neela looked at Ray with the same expression he gave her. How could this random child know him? He looked closely at her features searching for any sign of familiarity.

"Ray, it's me! Don't you remember?"

"Oh my gosh….. Leah?" Now Neela gave him an even weirder look.

"You know her?"

"Yes Ray! It's Leah, your cousin!" Neela was appalled.

"Neela can you go get a nurse and dry gown for Leah?" Neela didn't particularly want to leave due to her confusion, but she did what Ray asked.

"Leah, how on earth did you get here? Don't you live in Springfield with Aunt Carla and her new husband? And why were you out in the pouring rain? You could have frozen out there if you hadn't found the hospital." Ray was almost as confused as Neela had been. It had been about a year since he had seen Leah or Carla, his father's sister.

Silently, Leah's tears began to fall again. "What's wrong? Does your wrist hurt? We need to get an X-ray of that…"

"No. I mean, it does hurt, but that's not why. Mom's new husband Lance, isn't, well, he…." She coughed through her wet, red misery. "He doesn't really like me all that much."

At that moment Neela and Connie came through the doors followed by Kovac. "Is this the girl who slipped running in here?" he inquired.

"This is her. And apparently she's Ray's cousin as well."

"Why was she out in the rain on the streets of Chicago? Never mind, we can ask questions later. She needs to be taken up to Radiology for an X-ray of her wrist, correct?" Kovac asked, directing his question to Ray.

"Yeah. But what were you saying about Lance, Leah?"

"Nothing. Really Ray. It was nothing."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Sorry it's taken a while to update. I've been a little preoccupied with stuff from my classes. I always love reviews!!! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own ER or its characters in any way, shape or form. But if I did, THAT WOULD ROCK!**

"Neela," Frank called in his gruffy voice, "The X-rays are back on that kid that mysteriously knows Ray."

Neela turned to Frank at the desk as he handed her the yellow envelope. _How could she have just shown up like this? _Neela was still contemplating as she walked over to the nearest light.

"How on Earth?" Neela gasped out loud. After a moment of staring Kovac came up behind her and looked over her shoulder. His face quickly matched the surprised expression on Neela's. There was an obvious fracture at the base of the radius, but there was also evidence of previous fractures all along both bones in the arm.

"Something tells me this isn't the first time her arm has been broken," Kovac said with a sigh.

Neela was just then registering it all. "Do you mean to say…."

"Someone has hurt her before. Many times before." Kovac finished her sentence.

"This poor girl's being abused? Who would be such a heartless monster as to do that to an innocent child? We need to tell Ray."

"Ray is making up for lost times with his terrified cousin. Let them be for a while. We can tell them later. They don't need this thrown on so suddenly."

With that, he walked away leaving Neela Gaping at the X-ray. She began to count the scars on the bone. Some were definitely more recent than others, and some had been left alone for a while. Though they were all only hairline fractures, they had still required a large amount of force in order to break. From the looks of it, most had been ignored. _Five._ There were five distinguishable ones plus the much larger one that had just occurred.

After finding the total, Neela replaced the X-rays in the envelope. She was done staring at such a sight. Poor Leah. And poor Ray. _How's he going to feel?_ She thought as she began to walk toward the lounge. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt the need to tell Ray. A few feet from the door of the lounge, she turned around and began to walk to Leah's room.

Right now, she didn't care very much what Kovac thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: Thank you so much for all the reviews. I really appreciate your feedback! I've been kinda stuck on thinking of ideas, but I hope you enjoy this next one!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ER or its characters in any way, shape or form. But if I did, THAT WOULD ROCK!**

Neela looked in the window of the room. Leah was sitting up in the bed with her dark hair gently sprawled over her shoulders. Ray was right at her side in a chair. They seemed rather serious and quiet at first, but they soon broke out into laughter. _They look so happy,_ Neela thought to herself. She had never seen Ray smile that deeply before.

Leah noticed Neela standing in the door and nodded to her while still speaking to her cousin. He turned his head to see his girlfriend almost forcing a smile. He got up and walked out to her.

"Hey," he said, and gently kissed her for only about half a second. "I was about to go get her something across the street. I would go to the cafeteria, but she's already not feeling well and I don't particularly want to poison her," he told Neela sarcastically. She managed to slightly giggle at the truth of Ray's statement.

"I've been meaning to come check on her," she said. "I'll stay with her while you go."

Neela couldn't tell him right now. She didn't want to hurt him after his sudden cheerfulness. She couldn't even bear to talk to Leah about it yet. She would just stay and speak to her for a while. Only until Ray got back. Then Maybe she would bring herself to tell him.

Neela walked into the room grinning at Leah. Leah attempted to smile back, but a worried look crept over her face. Her only once before happiness was suddenly fear. She looked down at the blanket covering her.

"You know, don't you?" she whispered to Neela.

"Know what?" Neela's heart began to beat faster. _I'm not good with kids. I can't handle to talk about so serious a problem. _

"You know. I'm sure you know. Don't tell Ray. I've already worried him enough." Leah responded.

Neela organized her thoughts, and then explained them to the child. "Leah, you have scars on the bones of your arm. That means it has been broken before, but by someone purposely…" _I can't do this. I should call a social worker, _Neela voiced under her breath.

Apparently, Leah heard. At least she heard the words "social worker."

"No. Please don't get too many people into this. I'll tell everyone about it later: Ray, the social worker, anyone else interested, but right now I'm happy. I haven't been this way in a long time. Just let me stay here with my cousin for a while. Please." Leah's eyes filled with tears, and with a blink two of them slipped down her reddening face.

Neela leaned into Leah, pulling her into a warm and caring embrace. At least there was one thing she was good at: hugs.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Everybody who has given feedback: thank you :D. It really encourages my writing cough cough . Just thought you should know. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own ER or its characters in any way, shape or form. But if I did, THAT WOULD ROCK!**

_It was still damp outside when Ray walked back over to the hospital. He hoped Leah liked burgers, because he only had three bucks in his pocket when he went to Ike's. He still hadn't asked her much about why she was here, much less why she was wandering the streets of Chicago and screaming for help in the hospital. He was mostly offering her his support and letting her talk to him. He and Leah had been close when she was younger. After his uncle died, his aunt moved in with Ray's family. They stayed in their basement apartment for four years, from when Leah was six to ten. Ray was in college locally most of that time, but visits home were frequent for him and he grew close to Leah._

_Until two years ago when his aunt married Lance. _

_Ray had never liked Lance very much. After his aunt Carla met him, he seemed to be around a lot. But whenever Ray saw them, they were either wildly attacking each others lips or talking about going to foreign places together. Lance was never very interested in Leah. Leah, however, was very interested in him. Lance had a lot of money, and that meant he could buy her anything she wanted. That was important, because she never was very wealthy and often did without expensive, high-fashion Barbies that she coveted ever so much. _

_Leah was naïve, but Lance seemed nice to her._

Back at the hospital, Neela and Leah talked with great interest about boys Leah had crushes on. Neela was enthused by the simplicity of small talk with such a fun-loving child. After explaining what some guy had done for her one time, Leah asked her a question.

"Does Ray do that kind of stuff for you?" She inquired bearing a huge grin.

Neela was startled. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on. I saw him kiss you. I know you must be dating."

Neela was wearing the same smile as Leah now. But before she could reply, Ray walked in.

"Hope you like cheeseburgers 'cause it's the best I can do right now." Leah giggled as Ray put his arm behind her to hug her. Leah slightly, just barely winced at this and pulled away.

"What is it?" Ray asked.

"Nothing. Cheeseburgers are fine." Leah replied quickly, but Ray knew something was wrong.

"Did I hurt your back? Maybe it's bruised from when you slipped."

Leah spoke rapidly. "No! I'm sure it's--"

But it was too late. Ray was behind her unlacing the back of the gown and staring at dark bruises distributed all over her. Obviously, they had not been caused by one fall.

Ray was appalled. "Leah…" He said soothingly, but she was already starting to let her tears fall. Neela quickly advaced toward Leah and held her hand while whispering to her, "Do you want me to tell him?"

Leah nodded and whispered back, "But don't go anywhere."


End file.
